Saturday, August 29

Meghalaya

Meghalaya HC quashes FIR, charge-sheet against former DGP Bishnoi
Meghalaya

Meghalaya HC quashes FIR, charge-sheet against former DGP Bishnoi

The High Court of Meghalaya has quashed the FIR and the chargesheet filed against former Meghalaya Director General of Police Lajja Ram Bishnoi in a case pertaining to alleged misuse and tampering of a vehicle registration number. Bishnoi had filed a criminal petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 praying that the FIR registered with the Sadar police station be set aside and quashed. In its judgement and order passed on Tuesday, the single bench court of Justice Biswadeep Bhattacharjee said the brief fact of the case is that former police official Gabriel K Iangrai lodged an FIR with the Sadar police station against Bishnoi on May 9, 2024, alleging misuse and tampering of registration number of the vehicle in the use of the petitioner in the capacity of the ...
Meghalaya offers training to improve cashew cultivation using cutting-edge methods
Meghalaya

Meghalaya offers training to improve cashew cultivation using cutting-edge methods

Circuit House in Ampati successfully held a training session on better cashew cultivation techniques. The event, which was sponsored by the ICAR-Directorate of Cashew Research and organized by the Multi-Technology Testing Centre & Vocational Training Centre, College of Community Science, CAU, Imphal, was designed to give farmers access to cutting-edge growing methods. The program involved fifty cashew farmers from four C&RD Blocks in the South West Garo Hills District. As the Chief Guest, Hema Nayak, the Deputy Commissioner of the South West Garo Hills District, was joined by Dr. Jyoti V. Vastrad, the Dean of the College of Community Science, Tura, and Dr. TN Ravi Prasad, the Principal Scientist, Puttur. Departmental representatives also offered their assistance. Through resour...
Meghalaya singer admits to identity theft and online deception
Meghalaya

Meghalaya singer admits to identity theft and online deception

Prominent Shillong-based singer Lamphang Syiemlieh confessed to engaging in deliberate identity theft and misuse of personal information for over a year and a half. Syiemlieh made the confession public through a detailed social media post, acknowledging that he had created fake profiles on Facebook under the names "audreyas962" and "Lakysha A." He admitted to using photographs stolen from an unidentified woman’s social media account without her permission. "I have contacted countless men, sending them sexually explicit messages for the last year and a half," Syiemlieh wrote in his statement. "I had consciously and deliberately stolen and abused this woman's identity for my own sexual interests and gratification." Relatives of Syiemlieh reportedly confronted him about his online behavio...
Northeast Frontier Railway to survey new route n Jowai
Meghalaya

Northeast Frontier Railway to survey new route n Jowai

Despite facing stiff resistance from pressure groups in Meghalaya against the Tetelia-Byrnihat and the Byrnihat-Shillong railway projects, the Northeastern Frontier Railway (NFR) is now looking to connect Jowai in West Jaintia Hills with a railway line from Chaparmukh in Nagaon district of Assam. As per reports, a 180-kilometre broad gauge railway line extending from Chaparmukh Junction in Assam to Jowai in Meghalaya has been included by the NFR in key surveys targeting development of new railway lines in the Northeast. The proposed railway route is set to traverse several key locations such as Bhoksong, Rajagaon, Baithalangso, Jengkha, Kherani, and Umrangso before terminating in Jowai, reports say, adding that this corridor aims to address critical gaps in the existing transportati...
Paul Lyngdoh: Ed Sheeran’s concert had taken the state’s music industry and concert economy
Meghalaya

Paul Lyngdoh: Ed Sheeran’s concert had taken the state’s music industry and concert economy

Ed Sheeran's performance, according to Meghalaya Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh, has elevated the state's concert economy and music business to a new level. "Shillong has all the makings of a great music city in its natural DNA, as seen by his candid admission that this was the largest and finest crowd and concert he had ever attended in India. As you are aware, he is currently ranked number two in the world." Additionally, the top priority for all of the musicians we have been able to draw thus far is that there be sufficient and well-kept lodging options. As you can see from the interactions between the several organizers of these concerts, we have made great progress, and they have publicly stated that everyone wants Shillong to be included in their schedule for today. It is therefor...
Rs 4,000-cr boost for Meghalaya tourism sector
Meghalaya, Travel

Rs 4,000-cr boost for Meghalaya tourism sector

The Meghalaya government is betting big on the tourism industry to change the fortunes of the state’s economy.  The government is now planning to invest around Rs 4,000 crore in the tourism sector to transform the state into a key tourist destination. With Shillong successfully hosting as many as three international concerts in a span of two months, all of which were roaring successes, the government’s push to bolster the tourism sector seems to be a step in the right direction. Tourism Minister, Paul Lyngdoh on Monday exuded confidence that the announcement of investment of Rs 4,000 crore in the tourism sector will bring about major changes in the burgeoning sector in the next two years. Lyngdoh on Monday told journalists that as per a sample survey, a good number of tourists who...
Ri Bhoi Police warn event organisers against bypassing authorities
Meghalaya

Ri Bhoi Police warn event organisers against bypassing authorities

Event planners in the Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya have received a strong warning from authorities not to host public events without formal authorization. In a social media post, the district police said that a lot of events, including concerts, are planned without consulting the district administration or law enforcement. Public safety is seriously at stake from this practice, officials emphasized. According to the statement, "professional expertise is required from venue selection to traffic regulation, parking, crowd management, fire safety, etc., which requires time and proper planning." Failure to obtain prior consent might result in "unfortunate incidents resulting in loss of life and property, which will not be tolerated," the police said. If organizers are caught breaking thes...
Meghalaya: 14 Bangladeshi nationals arrested from Garo Hills
Meghalaya

Meghalaya: 14 Bangladeshi nationals arrested from Garo Hills

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Border Security Force (BSF) Meghalaya, in a well-coordinated joint operation with sister agencies, successfully intercepted and apprehended multiple individuals attempting to cross the international boundary illegally. In a meticulously executed operation, BSF troops intercepted eight Bangladeshi nationals along with an Indian national (the driver) traveling in an Innova vehicle towards Tura via NH-217. They were apprehended near the international boundary while attempting to enter Bangladesh from India. In another swift and decisive operation, BSF Meghalaya troops nabbed six more Bangladeshi nationals along with two Indian nationals near the international boundary. These operations were carried out as part of BSF Meghalaya’s ongoing efforts ...
Ahead of MDC election Sixth Schedule Vs Article 371 debate takes centrestage in Meghalaya
Meghalaya

Ahead of MDC election Sixth Schedule Vs Article 371 debate takes centrestage in Meghalaya

The pursuit of Article 371 by the Voice of the People Party (VPP) has triggered an intense debate over its potency versus the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Representatives of various political parties discussed the matter together on Friday at a symposium on Article 371(A), Article 371(G), and the Sixth Schedule, organised by Sankardev College. There was no representative from the VPP. The speakers included advocates Erwin K Syiem Sutnga, Fenela Lyngdoh Nonglait, Mewaker Lyngdoh, state Congress secretary Manuel Badwar and UDP vice president Robertjune Kharjahrin. Mewaker Lyngdoh represented BJP. They all shared their views and analyses, citing examples and making references. They deliberated on the impact of these constitutional provisions on governance, autonomy and ind...
Meghalaya examines unrecognized schools in light of increasing concerns
Meghalaya

Meghalaya examines unrecognized schools in light of increasing concerns

Almost 500 schools in Meghalaya are operating without recognition, although having UDISE codes. This is a serious problem for the state. Now that the Education Department has admitted that the issue is a result of outdated procedures in which official documents were released without rigorous adherence to regulations, the issue is being examined more closely. Swapnil Tembe, Director of School Education & Literacy, stressed that states have been directed by the Indian government to resolve the issues related to unrecognized schools. There are some schools that are not acknowledged by the system; in our state, there are approximately 500 schools that are still not acknowledged. Recognition indicates that the government or government representatives have issued some sort of document. T...